A couple weeks ago, I blogged that alternative rock was back in New York City as the station at 101.9, flipped back from a news station, to "New Rock 101.9". Last week, I got the opportunity to drive into work by myself, and thought I would check out this station.
Well, I am happy to report that this is a very good radio station. The City had experimented with Alternative Rock before, with the results nothing to write home about. There was the New Wave format on WPIX, on the same frequency, 101.9 in the late 1970's. When Alt-rock became the buzz in the wake of the grunge explosion, 92.7 WXRK went from classic rock to alternative, but after a year or so, it sounded more like a heavy metal station...or at least a mainstream rock one. It wasn't what I was expected. There have been other short-lived experiments, like "The Buzz" (WDBZ), which was horrible.
It's too early to give a final opinion, but upon listening on Thursday morning, afternoon, and again on Friday afternoon, I liked what I heard. True artists of the genre, current and past, like The Black Keys, Foster The People, AWOLNATION, The Lumineers, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others were heard, some more than once. Perhaps my only complaint was the relative lack of "true" current songs (i.e. that on the current Alternative chart), but I did hear the latest by The Black Keys, AWOLNATION, The Lumineers and a few others. Much of the music, however was of recent vintage, with a few dating back to the early 2000's (Staind), and one all the way back to the late 80's ("Epic" by Faith No More). I didn't hear any metal-sounding records, such as the ones K-Rock used to play back in the day.
The presentation was mostly the music, with a few small and brief comments from the jocks. The new songs, upon conclusion, would be automatically ID'd, which is a plus, especially in a format that plays artists that many are not familiar with. I am sure, that as the weeks pass, it will have more of a human presence, similar to the old FM106.3 Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore did, or WEQX in Vermont does.
This is a great start.
REFLECTIONS: We have a first here on Scenes 'n' Soundwaves this week. It's been almost two years since I started tracking new music and deciding what my favorite songs and artists are. Almost exclusively up until now, the #1 song has been by an artist deemed "Alternative". That includes those who crossed over to pop, like Adele, fun., Foster The People, Gotye, and inversely, Ellie Goulding (more on that later). But, for the first time, we have an artist considered "pop" at the top spot. That would be Pink, with her catchy song "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)", which jumps from #5 to #1 in only five weeks. Several people I know have revealed themselves to be fans of the New York singer. It's the second top 10 song on SNS for her; "Raise Your Glass" went to #8 in the beginning of 2011. Oddly enough, the song has stalled on the Billboard Hot 100 after making the top 10 in is second week....it's holding steady at #10, hopefully the increase in radio airplay is filling in for any decrease in downloads after its initial week of availability.
Meanwhile, the persistent Carly Rae Jepsen remains at #1 for a ninth week, as "Call Me Maybe", definitely the pop song of the summer still reigns; it holds at #61 here. However, the news is at #2, where Ellie Goulding's "Lights" jumps there from 5, and still re-surges here at #66. Only three songs have hit the top of both lists so far, Adele's "Rolling In the Deep" and "Someone Like You", and fun.'s "We Are Young". But only the fun. song was simultaneous; the Adele songs hit the national top spot months after I listed it up there. "Lights" was my #1 song in December; so if it advances one more notch, it would mark eight months lag time, which would be a record.
The Olympics have been in full swing now, and United States is racking up the medals. But, apparently also racking up chart points is the latest American Idol winner Philip Phillips, with his coronation song "Home". After an initial sales burst after his win, the song quickly dropped off the chart, but has come roaring back. Featured prominently in the Olympics, "Home" reenters the chart, and jumps from #84 to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and advances from 16 to 12 on SNS. The record of the highest charting song by an Idol alumnus is the recent "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson (#7); in fact the original winner's latest joins the new guy as "Dark Side" dips to #15 this week in the Top 20.
The Phillips record's success, I believe will be crucial to the show's continued success. With the changes in the judges seats taking place in the new season, the show's ability to create an artists that truly shines above the others is very important. A singer on the level of a Clarkson or an Underwood would help Idol's relevance in the industry continue.
ELSEWHERE ON THE CHART: After a few months of stagnation, we have some really good moving records. Aside from Pink's five-week ascension to the top, some really big moves by Dignan Porch and Foxygen leap into the Top 20. The Lumineers popular "Hey Ho", the current Triple-A topper, renters my chart. With all the airplay given it (including 101.9), I am starting to like it a lot more.
SEND ME SOME GROUPLOVIN': Two big debuts this week. As "Tongue Tied" continues to slowly catch on with the masses, the follow-up single, "Itchin' on A Photograph" debuts at #58. A first listen to this song, the third single from from 2011's Never Trust A Happy Song, has a knockout feel to it. If you like "Tongue Tied", I think you'll like this as well....soulful and catchy as the previous song, but the impact and the song's popness grab you and doesn't want to let go.
The next debut comes from the singer Rebecca Ferguson, with "Nothing's Real But Love". This is a great, promising new artist, known in the UK as a contestant of the X Factor over there. She has a pop-jazzy vibe, along the lines of a Corinne Bailey Rae. Leila's upcoming full length album notwithstanding, it's been a while since I've gotten hold of new artists performing that kind of music. I plan on doing a lot of listening to her. It's a nice slice of soul along the lines of some of her influences such as Aretha Franklin, and fellow Brit Amy Winehouse.
SCENES 'N' SOUNDWAVES 100 for Week of August 6, 2012.
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
5
|
P!NK
"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)"
Album: The Truth About Love
|
5
|
|
2
|
1
|
Trails and Ways - Nunca
|
11
|
|
3
|
6
|
The Heavy - What Makes A Good Man
|
7
|
|
4
|
2
|
M83 - Reunion
|
12
|
|
5
|
8
|
Best Coast - The Only Place
|
12
|
|
6
|
3
|
The Kooks - Is It Me
|
11
|
|
7
|
10
|
The Black Keys - Little Black Submarine
|
8
|
|
8
|
4
|
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up
|
15
|
|
9
|
7
|
Mayer Hawthorne - Henny and Gingerale
|
13
|
|
10
|
11
|
Oberhofer - Away From You
|
16
|
|
11
|
9
|
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Never Go Back
|
17
|
|
12
|
16
|
Phillip Phillips - Home
|
11
|
|
13
|
15
|
Beach House - Lazuli
|
9
|
|
14
|
29
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
DIGNAN PORCH
"Picking Up Dust"
Album: Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen
|
4
|
|
15
|
13
|
Kelly Clarkson - Dark Side
|
10
|
|
16
|
17
|
Fun. - Some Nights
|
19
|
|
17
|
12
|
The Shins- The Rifle's Spiral
|
18
|
|
18
|
43
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
FOXYGEN
"Make It Known"
Album: Take the Kids Off Broadway
|
3
|
|
19
|
14
|
Linkin Park - Burn It Down
|
15
|
|
20
|
21
|
The Raveonettes - Observations
|
6
|
|
21
|
26
|
Matchbox Twenty - She's So Mean
|
8
|
|
22
|
42
|
The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
|
4
|
|
23
|
22
|
Gossip - Move in the Right Direction
|
8
|
|
24
|
18
|
Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
|
22
|
|
25
|
19
|
Metric - Youth Without Youth
|
15
|
|
26
|
20
|
Graffiti6 - Stare Into the Sun
|
13
|
|
27
|
23
|
Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water
|
20
|
|
28
|
25
|
Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know
|
29
|
|
29
|
31
|
Ty Segall - I Brought My Eyes
|
10
|
|
30
|
40
|
The Royal Concept - Gimme Twice
|
7
|
|
31
|
47
|
Two Door Cinema Club - Sleep Alone
|
3
|
|
32
|
24
|
Wolf Gang - The King and All His Men
|
10
|
|
33
|
34
|
Grassfight - Look Homeward Heathen
|
5
|
|
34
|
32
|
Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound
|
8
|
|
35
|
27
|
Passion Pit - Take A Walk
|
12
|
|
36
|
36
|
Emeli Sande - Next To Me
|
7
|
|
37
|
28
|
The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
|
22
|
|
38
|
41
|
Gotye - Eyes Wide Open
|
16
|
|
39
|
37
|
Dawes - If I Wanted Someone
|
7
|
|
40
|
49
|
Green Day - Oh Love
|
3
|
|
41
|
46
|
Public Image Ltd - One Drop
|
7
|
|
42
|
56
|
The Killers - Runaways
|
4
|
|
43
|
44
|
The Gaslight Anthem - 45
|
11
|
|
44
|
52
|
Meiko - Leave the Lights On
|
6
|
|
45
|
57
|
A Place to Bury Strangers - You Are the One
|
4
|
|
46
|
30
|
The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the Radio
|
9
|
|
47
|
33
|
Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A Game
|
20
|
|
48
|
39
|
Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
|
9
|
|
49
|
35
|
Eve6 - Victoria
|
21
|
|
50
|
53
|
The Features - Another One
|
5
|
|
51
|
55
|
Weeks - The House We Grew Up In
|
6
|
|
52
|
38
|
Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light
|
30
|
|
53
|
58
|
No Doubt - Settle Down
|
3
|
|
54
|
54
|
The Mungers - B School
|
5
|
|
55
|
50
|
Grouplove - Tongue Tied
|
34
|
|
56
|
45
|
Lost n the Trees - Golden Eyelids
|
18
|
|
57
|
48
|
Electric Guest - This Head I Hold
|
23
|
|
58
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
GROUPLOVE
"Itchin' On A Photograph"
Album: Never Trust A Happy Song
|
1
|
|
59
|
60
|
Eric Hutchinson - Watching You Watch Him
|
9
|
|
60
|
81
|
Basement Batman - On A Streak
|
2
|
|
61
|
61
|
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
|
10
|
|
62
|
51
|
Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart
|
20
|
|
63
|
62
|
Silent Rider - I Was A Bomb
|
6
|
|
64
|
64
|
Florence + the Machine - Never Let Me Go
|
22
|
|
65
|
67
|
Dr. Dog - Lonesome
|
8
|
|
66
|
74
|
Ellie Goulding - Lights
|
29
|
|
67
|
88
|
Chromatics - Into the Black
|
2
|
|
68
|
63
|
The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling
|
28
|
|
69
|
76
|
Rome - Dedication
|
6
|
|
70
|
78
|
Christina Perri f. Jason Mraz - Distance
|
3
|
|
71
|
95
|
Joanna Burns - Simply Speak
|
2
|
|
72
|
70
|
The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love
|
30
|
|
73
|
80
|
White Violet - Lays Around Lazy
|
10
|
|
74
|
85
|
Daniel Powter - Cupid
|
4
|
|
75
|
91
|
Snow Patrol - In the End
|
2
|
|
76
|
----
|
Rebecca Ferguson - Nothing's Real But Love
|
1
|
|
77
|
65
|
The Decemberists - One Engine
|
18
|
|
78
|
92
|
Aerosmith - Legendary Child
|
2
|
|
79
|
59
|
Maroon 5- Payphone
|
13
|
|
80
|
77
|
Jacuzzi Boys - Automatic Jail
|
6
|
|
81
|
94
|
Maroon 5 - One More Night
|
2
|
|
82
|
69
|
Garbage - Blood For Poppies
|
20
|
|
83
|
75
|
Fun. f. Janelle Monae - We Are Young
|
36
|
|
84
|
84
|
Jack White - I'm Shaken
|
5
|
|
85
|
73
|
Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary
|
19
|
|
86
|
RE ENTRY |
The Lumineers - Hey Ho
|
6
|
|
87
|
66
|
Jack White - Sixteen Saltines
|
18
|
|
88
|
98
|
Bloc Party - Octopus
|
2
|
|
89
|
71
|
Marriages - Ride In My Place
|
19
|
|
90
|
79
|
Dead Sara - Weatherman
|
8
|
|
91
|
68
|
Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup
|
20
|
|
92
|
96
|
Band of Horses - Knock Knock
|
3
|
|
93
|
90
|
Zac Brown Band - The Wind
|
6
|
|
94
|
----
|
The XX - Angels
|
1
|
|
95
|
72
|
Florence + the Machine - Breath of Life
|
13
|
|
96
|
82
|
Snow Patrol - This Isn't Everything You Are
|
16
|
|
97
|
----
|
Dave Matthews Band - Mercy
|
4
|
|
98
|
----
|
Smashing Pumpkins - Celestials
|
1
|
|
99
|
----
|
Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built
|
1
|
|
100
|
83
|
Dante vs Zombies - Natural Disaster
|
21
|
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